1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to air fresheners which emit a pleasing fragrance into the atmosphere to mask unpleasant odors, and more particularly to a rechargeable air freshener in which an air-freshening scent is emitted in multiple directions from a decorative figure which also functions as a plaything.
2. Status of Prior Art
It is known to provide an air freshener in which a pleasing scent is emitted from a decorative figure. Thus my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,935 discloses a rechargeable sachet in a snake-like format that may be coiled about a post or rod, the sachet including a permeable fabric sleeve stuffed with a flexible core of absorbent material having good wicking properties.
Within one end of the fabric sleeve is a socket which receives the corresponding end of the core, the base of the socket being provided with a projecting plug having an axial bore therein from which is extended a flexible dip tube. The plug is pressed into the mouth of a squeeze bottle containing liquid fragrance. By squeezing the bottle end of the sleeve, liquid fragrance from the squeezed bottle is injected into the end of the core and is wicked thereby throughout the body of the core. The liquid fragrance is volatilized from the surface of the core to produce an aromatic vapor which passes through the fabric sleeve and is discharged into the atmosphere. When the sachet core ceases to emit a scent, it is recharged by again squeezing the bottle end of the sleeve.
There are two practical drawbacks to my prior air freshener. The first is that the requirement for a cylindrical squeeze bottle as a liquid-fragrance reservoir which is inserted into one end of a cylindrical sleeve dictates a snake-like form and excludes other animal-like, fanciful or realistic figurative shapes.
The second practical drawback incident to the use of a squeeze bottle is that its operation is not accompanied by an audible sound that indicates whether the squeeze tube contains a liquid supply or is empty; for in both instances, when the bottle is squeezed, one hears virtually no sound. Hence the user of my prior sachet does not know when he has run out of liquid fragrance and he may continue futilely to squeeze the bottle.
It is also known to use as air fresheners, liquid fragrances contained under gas pressure in aerosol cans provided at one end with a projecting valve stem terminating in a nozzle head, such that when the head is actuated, an aromatic mist is sprayed from the nozzle head. The emission of the spray is accompanied by a hissing sound, and one knows that the fragrance is exhausted when the actuator head is pressed and no visible spray is then emitted and no hissing sound is heard.
In the typical air freshener of the aerosol type, one holds the can upright to spray the scent toward the center of the room so that its emission is unidirectional. Because of the strictly utilitarian appearance of an aerosol air freshener, it would be inappropriate to leave this air freshener on a desk or table of a well appointed room, such as a bedroom or living room. And because once the mist is unidirectionally discharged into a room, it is quickly dissipated, it is necessary to repeat the scent discharge action at fairly frequent intervals.
It is also known from the British patent to Hassler, 228,893, to provide a fragrance dispenser in the form of an animal-like figure which when squeezed emits a fragrance. This includes a liquid container and a squeeze bulb associated therewith which when actuated produces a spray that is emitted through the nose or eye opening of the figure. The figure itself does not emit a fragrance.